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The Reserve Hotel Casino in Central City, Colorado keeps on getting better and better

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THE RESERVE in Central City, Colorado
THE RESERVE in Central City, Colorado - A ROADHOUSE GETAWAY

The Reserve Hotel Casino
321 Gregory St
Central City, Colorado
(800) 924-6646

Originally published September, 22, 2012

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>>> UPDATE April 11, 2013 < << The buffets have been replaced with off-the-menu ordering, although Friday thru Sunday the CAFE features a Lobster Buffet from 5:00pm until 10:00pm. Also, Ardore’s has undergone a name-change. The new name is, BISTRO 321 CHOPHOUSE. Visit the LasVegasBuffetClub’s Colorado Casino’s page on THE RESERVE at the bottom of this post. This information supersedes any of the following.

< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Hotel/Casino THE RESERVE in Central City, Colorado, formerly Fortune Valley Hotel Casino, keeps on getting better and better, in fact it’s becoming a Gilpin County favorite.

The Reserve sent me another room comp + a voucher for a trifle-bit of gambling/food cash, I jumped at the opportunity.

This hotel (resplendent with it’s rock & roll theme, 60s-70s vintage rock-posters, signed R&R memorabilia including guitars, records and microphones – also, crazy motorcycles, including a replica of the Easy Rider “Captain America Bike,” a Go Cart with a V8 auto-engine, and a long-legged-blonde-Pamela Anderson-look-alike-cocktail-waitress) is becoming yet more attractive by expanding the hours of the “fine-dining” restaurant ARDORE to seven days (ARDORE used to only be open on the weekends,) and converting the buffet to a real all-you-can-eat buffet. These are two excellent changes that are helping fine-tune this roadhouse-get-a-way in the mountains.

ARDORE - A TUSCAN STEAKHOUSE AND WINE EXPERIENCE
ARDORE - A TUSCAN STEAKHOUSE AND WINE EXPERIENCE

Upon arriving, walking through the casino, we gave ARDORE the once over and decided to come back later in the evening to try out this restaurant since it was the first time we found it open (we usually go up during the week and ARDORE previously only opened weekends.) “Ardore, meaning passion in Italian is Reserve’s own gourmet restaurant, featuring steakhouse style dishes with an Italian and Tuscan flare.” After checking in, settling in to the room to have a cocktail and catch up on the news, we went over to the AMERISTAR on Richman to play with the small gaming “stipend” they sent me. I did all-right, coming close to acquiring enough points to get a free-buffet (20 out of 25 points,) however we were still set on trying out ARDORE so I cashed in, dead-even, and we drove back up the hill to Central City.

ARDORE is fronted by glass and bottles and bottles (500) of stacked wine from THE RESERVE’S owner Tom Celani’s, “Celani Family Vineyards.” On weekends the restaurant offers up-scale Tuscan-style fine dining and also does business as: ARDORE’S BISTRO every day from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm for Lunch and re-opens for Dinner Monday thru Thursday at 4:30 p.m. serving lighter meals including salads, bistro-appetizers, and entrees including: a 1/2 lb. Certified Angus Beef Burger “Served on our House Roll with Tomato, Lettuce & Onion, and choice of Fries or Chips 7.99, Topped with your choice of Bleu, Swiss, Cheddar or American Cheese 8.99,” Avocado Salmon (13.99,) Merlot Meatloaf (12.99,) a couple of pasta dishes including: Rock ‘n’ Rollin’ Bolognese – “House Made Bolognese of Marinara, Ground Beef, Celery, Carrot, Onion over Angel Hair Pasta 11.99” and more see the complete menu at THE RESERVE’S website.

Weekends, they jack up the dinner menu a notch – menu-choices as well as prices. For instance the weekend dinner-menu offers: among the ANTIPASTI – APPETIZERS: there’s CALAMARI “Fried Calamari above a creamy Red Pepper emulsion and Micro greens – 7.00,” and entrees such as: LAMB SHANK “Braised Lamb Shank, marinated and baked in our house Marinara served over Risotto Primavera,” as well as an ARDORE RIBEYE “12 oz. House Butchered Ribeye, Our Signature Zip sauce, Asiago cheese, Truffle Rosemary Potatoes and Sautéed Spinach,” each $21.00. There’s also a BOLOGNESE Pasta “House made Bolognese consisting of celery, onion, carrot, Marinara and ground beef over your choice of Fettuccini or Angel Hair 16.00.” View the complete weekend dinner-menu at ARDORE’S website.

Being a Cobb Salad guy I ordered, guess what, The Cobb Salad. It was beautifully presented in a cool, white, oval deep-dish/plate that was made in such a manner that it tilts at an angle to your face, you gotta see it. All of the ingredients were “right” (including Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Avocado, Tomatoes, Hard-Boiled Egg and Crumbled Blue Cheese,) fresh and artistically placed in neat little groupings around the plate over a bed of Romaine Lettuce. The salad is offered with “either a Side of Bleu Cheese or Balsamic Vinaigrette 9.99.” It’s one of the better Cobbs I’ve had. That includes the Cobb at the (long-gone) Stardust in Las Vegas as well as that tasty honey-mustard Cobb at BOOMTOWN before it became SILVERTON on Blue Diamond Road in South Las Vegas. Yea I know – I’m just a Western/Southwestern dude, I don’t travel much out of the West, haven’t found a need to… Can’t get enough of that desert. Regarding the salad dressing, I would prefer a creamier (less tart/vinegary) Bleu Cheese. ARDORE’S might be just the place to dine before the (Central City) Opera. If other food choices aren’t up to par, don’t blame me, remember I’ve only had the Cobb Salad, so far…

The Chefs Kitchen Buffet
The Chef's Kitchen Buffet

Regarding the little breakfast buffet ($3.99 or $1.99 with coupon) in The Chef’s Kitchen at THE RESERVE, it is now (to repeat) a true, all-you-can-eat buffet, and now one serves oneself at the buffet. Used to be that the buffeters’ plates were plated by a server behind the glass: they would ask you what you want and then you would have to point and say “some of this and some of that.” That’s over now, you load up your plate with exactly what you want and then come back for more – good move Reserve. Breakfast Buffet choices include: Western Scrambled Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, pancakes, French Toast, fruit, bagels, sweet-rolls, cereals, biscuits and gravy, coffee and more. Orange juice and other drinks are extra. [This may be wrong, last time we went up Orange Juice was available in a dispenser next to the water dispenser.] This little Breakfast Buffet is my “hands-down” favorite in the area. It’s small-town intimate and though the food choices are minimal there’s enough for me. $1.99 with the coupon ain’t a bad price either.

There is also an all-you-can-eat, Lunch Buffet, (Monday – Friday) for $8.99 and a Champagne Brunch for $10.99 on Saturday and Sunday; and there’s a Dinner Buffet (7-days) for $16.99 in The Chef’s Kitchen. Call for hours and more buffet information.

If you’re an East-coast foodie/food-snob, you’ll find the buffet choices minimal. For the little mountain-town of Central City, they’re doing just fine, thank you. The restaurant experience is all-around, small-town friendly. The staff at the buffet are friendly, upbeat and helpful. The gracious, Debbi will make sure your visit to the buffet was satisfactory, at breakfast for sure. Perhaps she works other shifts as well.

Inside Market Street (the Reserve’s restaurant area,) besides the buffet line, there’s a coffee-bistro called Java Express “a little sandwich shop” that offers several Panini sandwiches for around $5.99. They also serve salads for about $4-bucks, beverages and Pizza slices ($1.99 or $.99 w/players card) and whole pies for $5.99 and $10.99, or Calzones $7.99. Beer is available here by the glass or pitcher. Take-out your order and head back to your room or have a seat at one of several, nearby tables.

Visit the LasVegasBuffetClub’s Colorado Casino’s page on THE RESERVE

Reserve Casino Hotel in Central City, Co: Music Line Up for the Lava Room

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The Reserve Hotel Casino
321 Gregory Street
Central City, Colorado 80427
303.582.0800 | 1.800.924.6646

The Reserve sent me some comped show-tickets for the Lava Room. Juice Newton’s picture/name on the ad struck true. I had a total crush on her back in the day. Her persona was wild and free-spirited.

Juice Newton
Juice Newton

70s – 80s Pop Singing Diva, Juice Newton, is playing The Reserve Hotel Casino for two shows: 7PM and 9Pm on April 20, 2013.

“Born in New Jersey and raised in Virginia, Judith Kay Newton first picked up the guitar as an adolescent, inspired by the Byrds, Bob Dylan and folk artists like Tom Rush and Ian & Sylvia. By age 13 she was performing professionally (for the extravagant sum of $10), curving her small hand around the wide neck of her nylon-stringed axe and assaying folk and country tunes with her already impressive voice . Before long she’d partnered with some older teen musicians. “I’d written some songs but they weren’t very good,” she recalls, “so I mostly focused on my singing.” She would return to songwriting later, though, with some powerful results.”

“She, Otha Young and Tom Kealey formed the country-leaning group Silver Spur; they were signed and relocated to Los Angeles in short order, releasing their debut LP on RCA Records in 1975. By the time they moved to Capitol Records a few years later it was as Juice Newton and Silver Spur. In her capacity as a solo artist, she saw action on the charts with songs like “It’s a Heartache,” “Let’s Keep It That Way” and “Sunshine,” among others. Meanwhile, the Newton-Young composition “Sweet, Sweet Smile” became a hit for pop icons the Carpenters in 1978.”

“But it was with 1981′s Juice that the singer exploded into the mainstream, thanks to the enormous hits “Angel of the Morning,” “Queen of Hearts” and #1 country smash “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known).” Delivering tearful, wall-of-sound pop, sprightly country-rock and everything in between with crystalline tone and infectious energy, Newton brought a sparkling authenticity to an era dominated by artifice. Juice went platinum and became an international monster, “The Sweetest Thing” spent 18 weeks in the Top 40, and Juice Newton earned two Grammy nominations for Best Female Vocalist.”

“Her 1982 album, Quiet Lies, was certified gold within months and spawned the hits “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me” (which scored Newton another Best Pop Female Vocalist Grammy nomination) and “Break It to Me Gently” (#1 AC, #2 Country, #11 Pop), which landed her a Grammy statuette for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Among the other nominees in that category: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Rosanne Cash. The disc also featured “Heart of the Night” (#4 AC, #25 Pop). She added a Country Music Award for Best New Female Artist, back-to-back Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year honors and Australian Music Media’s #1 International Country Artist win to her trophy cabinet.”

Other acts coming to the Lava Room in the foreseeable future: Dave Mason
April 27, 2013
Two shows: 7PM and 9PM

Little Texas
May 26, 2013
Two shows: 7PM and 9PM

Gwen Sebastian
Gwen Sebastian

Gwen Sebastian– SHOW’S OVER
February 17, 2013
Two shows: 7PM and 9PM

“Many voices contributed to Gwen Sebastian’s sudden and long-sought career growth, but which played the biggest part? Certainly her run on NBC’s hit singing competition The Voice was a huge boost. The sound of her coach and country superstar Blake Shelton offering a spot on his tour was equally sweet. One came in the form of a relative’s phone call, suggesting she attend an audition. There’s also the inner voice that brought her through a career crossroads before the show was even a consideration. Most recently, there’s the one that led her to a powerfully uplifting new single called “Met Him In A Motel Room.”

Reserve Casino Hotel Central City, CO

The Reserve Casino Hotel in Central City, Colorado

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Originally published June 21, 2012
New information/photo added July 12, 2012.
****New Gaming information below.

The Reserve Casino Hotel
The Reserve Casino Hotel

The Reserve Casino Hotel
321 Gregory St
Central City, Colorado
(800) 924-6646

In the space previously occupied by Central City’s long struggling FORTUNE VALLEY Casino Hotel, THE RESERVE Casino Hotel is making a stand – just a minute from the west-end of Central City Parkway, which is an entry point into the gaming, mountain-town of Central City, Colorado – 45 minutes from Denver. Fortune Valley struggled for years against the “big-boys” on the other-side-of-town (a five-minute drive) in Black Hawk. The big-boys were, at that time, The Ameristar and The Riviera.

Central City had the lock on mom & pop gaming until neighboring gaming-town Black Hawk started building Las Vegas-style casinos down the mountain. Then Black Hawk was getting the lion’s share of business – so… Central City – of Colorado Opera fame – fought back with a new road direct from I-70 into Central City: Central City Parkway (four-lane, 8.4 miles) which is an easy drive from I-70. It’s a safe(r), mountain-valley type, scenic road that passes by old, gold mines and gold/green pasture – and in the winter-time bypasses the sometimes dicey (when snow or other winter conditions are present) Highway 6, paralleling Clear Creek. Now Black Hawk is fighting back: building a four-lane road up/down Highway 6, but that’s another story for another day. I’ll report when the road is finished. The two main entrees into the area are: Highway 6 approaching from the east, paralleling Clear Creek, entering the east end of Black Hawk – at The Riviera! And from the west on Central City Parkway, down from I-70 east passing a few casinos then passing in front of The Reserve! As one can see, both are strategically located – hence the Highway Wars fighting for **the richest square mile on earth.

The Reserve sent me a hotel-room-comp with a chit-for-a-small-amount-of-playing-cash, food discounts and more. I graciously accepted the offer and took a break with the free room.

The hotel has been rethought as a vintage rock & roll showcase with scores (no pun intended) of 60s, 70s music-posters, such as The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Mothers of Invention etc. as well as (authentic) celebrity-autographs on guitars, like Eric Clapton’s, as well as someone’s Gold Record. I recall seeing a photo of Willie Nelson, can’t remember if it was autographed. Willie items are certainly appropriate since Willie Nelson used to live just over the hill near Evergreen, Colorado back in the day. I don’t think the guitars or the gold records are authentic, but was told that there is provenance with the autographs. Besides dozens of guitars, there are also American bike replicas like Captain America’s/Peter Fonda’s) American-Flag motorcycle from the great film classic, EASY RIDER. And to boot there is a huge 15-20 seat tabletop, video-poker bar shaped like a guitar, appropriately called The Guitar Bar (see below.) The Reserve is definitely an authentic, vintage rock & roll casino hotel. It’s a little bit like the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, but just to the extent that there are rock memorabilia everywhere. The theme seems to work and it seems to be the real deal. 60s and 70s groups like POCO, THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS and FOGHAT are currently booked in The Lava Room.

The Guitar Bar at The Reserve
The Guitar Bar at The Reserve

“Colorado’s Only Casino Showroom”
“This 300 person showroom is home to National music acts, local bands, comedians, UFC viewings, sports parties and club type feel in the evenings.”

“The Lava Room is fully equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system, HD TVs at every turn, dance floor, private bar, sunken stage with three levels of seating and standing area, specialty VIP sections, and new outdoor patio conveniently located opposite of the stage.”

The Lava Room
The Lava Room

The Reserve’s website shows basic room-rates from around $90.00 to $180.00. On the upper-end, suites run $140.00 to $200.00.

The rooms are definitely rock & roll: done-up in ***black/orange, yellow/black etc. That took a while to digest, but knowing the black/orange, black/red are all about the “color of fire” makes sense. The important things are that the rooms are clean and secure with flat-screens, coffee-makers, iron/ironing boards, hair dryers, shampoo/conditioner etc. and ice-makers/vending machines just down the hall, small refers and acceptable carpeting. It seems as though Fortune Valley was not in perfect condition when The Reserve took over. All in all it’s acceptable lodging, in my opinion. The beds are extremely comfortable.

Basic room at The Reserve
Basic room at The Reserve

The thing that’s more than acceptable is the little cafeteria/restaurant that serves, in my opinion, one of the best all-things-considered breakfast-buffet ever. $1.99 w/players card gets you: scrambled eggs – in several varieties, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, ham/sausage/bacon, hash-browns, fruit, muffins, bagels with a schmear and all of the rest of important basic American breakfast fare. The buffet is very compact compared to the bigs, but it’s really very adequate. I’ve not sampled the lunch or dinner yet but will in due time. Even if I stay at a different hotel, I’m sure I’d do The Chef’s Kitchen for breakfast.

Lil Buffet at The Reserve
Lil' Buffet at The Reserve

Here are the current prices and hours:
Breakfast: Monday through Friday, 7am – 11am, $5.99 – $1.99 w/players card
Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11am – 4pm, $7.99*
Dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 4pm – 8pm, $10.99*
Champagne Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 7am – 4pm, $10.99*
Specialty-Dinner: Friday, Steak & Shrimp and Saturday, Prime Rib, 4pm – 8pm, $10.99*
*No discount with players card

There is also a little sandwich shop called Java Express that offers several Panini sandwiches for $5.99;
they also serve salads for about $4-bucks, beverages and Pizza slices ($1.99 or $.99 w/players card)
and whole pies for $5.99 and $10.99, or Calzones $7.99. Beer is available here by the glass or pitcher.

The Reserve also sports a fine-dining Tuscan steak house. Ardore, the Italian restaurant at the casino and hotel, features a 500-bottle wine display. This upscale restaurant is open Friday – Sunday evenings. Dinners are $16.00 – $23.00 – visit the website for complete menus. “Tom Celani is one of the owners of Reserve Casino Hotel, and has a commitment to provide Ardore Tuscan Steakhouse-Seafood-Wine Experience with the highest quality wine, food and guest service. Celani Family wines are featured in Reserve’s gourmet room, named after the Celani Family vineyards prestige wine Ardore.”

****I really can’t comment on the gaming since I really don’t know the casino yet other than saying that they have the standard electronic slots, including video-poker, Keno, Double Bonus and all of the Micky Mouse machines that are so prevalent today. Live tables include poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. ****New gaming information below.

**”The Richest Square Mile On Earth:” “The Colorado Gold Rush began in 1858, leading prospective miners and settlers to discover modest gold deposits in the South Platte River and Cherry Creek in the modern-day Denver area.” “In May of 1859, a major gold strike was found close to Clear Creek in the Rocky Mountains, and Central City was born. By July over 10,000 people lived in the new town of Central City and the surrounding areas.” “By the end of 1859, between $1-1/2 & $2 million in gold was estimated as having been discovered, and the region quickly became known as “The Richest Square Mile On Earthread more…

***After spending another comped night at The Reserve, I was delighted to find that they also have more tastefully decorated rooms like the room with Robin-blue walls in the photo below.

****Well I finally tasted the gaming at The Reserve, and it tasted pretty damn good. Usually I don’t like to comment on gaming since it can be a dicey situation if someone reads an article and looses cash. I’ll just lay it out as it was, but please don’t “bank” on the information leading you to winning hands. I searched for a particular type of machine. I like to play Video Poker and Keno machines, usually in small denominations like pennies or nickels. I found a machine and it was smoke’n. In a two-hour stretch, I hit several four-of-a-kinds, one of which was four-4s which, as you may know pays pretty good. This was a Multi Game slot with variable coin choices of $.05, $.25, $.50 and $1.00. This could be a fluke or as is usually the case I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Whatever the reason, it’s always better to win than to loose. I reserve the right to not reveal the slot or the location – other than saying that I was on the lower floor. Are the slots in the Colorado mountains finally loosening up a bit?

The Reserve - Blue Hotel Room
The Reserve, Blue Hotel Room - photo by WCCarbone

On my last trip up to Central City I snapped this cool (and wet) photo with my little Canon SD 1200 IS. A very welcome rain was saturating the mountain-side. FYI: Those mounds of golden-hued earth are tailings from the gold mines.

Central City in a summer rain
Central City in a summer rain - photo by WCCarbone

Some photos are from The Reserve. See more photos on The Reserve’s website.

Visit The Reserve’s Official Website
Visit the Main pages of LasVegasBuffetClub.Com

Fortune Valley Hotel in Central City, Colorado: Mini Hard Rock Rocking in the Hard Rocky Mountains

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Fortune Valley Hotel Guitar
Fortune Valley Hotel Guitar - Photo by Jeffrey V. Smith

The drive up was easy, the drive down was a bit dicey for a minute, due to the snow that hit this little mountain town last night around midnight, so I’ve heard. I actually was there but I was in the room by midnight watching the tube and eating a Brooklyn Panini ($5.95) consisting of meatballs with marinara and a slice of cheese on Panini bread, brushed with butter, and toasted in that special panini-press. Included for the $5.95 are chips and soda. I normally don’t do a lot of these but I guess it’s called Panini bread.

I received a brochure with two free-money coupons and a coupon for a free room from the Fortune Valley Hotel Casino in Central City, Colorado two weeks ago. I made a reservation for Wednesday the 30th of November. One cash coupon was for November, the other for December. So I cashed one in Wednesday night, the other the following day, Thursday the 1st of December.

Fortune Valley Hotel Casino in Central City, Colorado
Fortune Valley Hotel Casino in Central City, Colorado - Colorado Casinos.net

This wasn’t my favorite hotel in the Central City/Black Hawk area – in fact it was one of my least favorite of the larger hotel/casinos on the mountain.

Fortune Valley has undergone a makeover.

The first clue was the slick technicolor, coupon-brochure that I got in the mail. It was first-rate, first-class. The images were crisp with vibrant colors, attractive people, lots of blue – the color – and guitars. The guitars representing the (brand) new theme of the hotel – Rock & Roll! Resplendent with dozens of guitars: hanging, in cases with other rock memorabilia and positioned here and there. Having owned an easy dozen guitars over the years, of course, guitars attract me. 60s and 70s rock posters of Jimi Hendrix, The Stones et-al, an exact replica of Peter Fonda’s “Captain America” bike from one of my favorite movies, Easy Rider, as well as other motorcycles and other hip eye-candy all work – to some degree – to create a warm(er) ambiance. Definitely an improvement over the last incarnation. Mirrors on the ceiling would raise the – somewhat stifling – low ceiling, raising the virtual headroom. Listening management? Ceiling mirrors would double the warmth/lighting factor of the casino (check out The Peppermill in Reno). If mirroring the entire ceiling would be cost-prohibitive maybe patches of mirrored ceiling would help.

My remaining problem with the casino is with the video/slot machines. It’s not easy finding a straight $.01/.05/.10/.25 Video Poker or Keno or Black Jack etc. machine. Most of the machines are of the new breed: Cartoon Video Machines. It’s not easy maintaining a serious Vegas Vibe with childish cartoon figures everywhere. But maybe that’s just me. How about more freek’n artistic machine-graphics? How about adult images? Not as in porn, but as in grown-up.

Aside from the gaming issues, my comments will address the basics. The hotel/gaming areas have a new energy. The look of that energy is warm, colorful and qualitative. The rock memorabilia, guitars, new blue lights, carpet and whatever else I might not have noticed contribute to a thumbs up for the makeover. I’ll return, but probably not to gamble. I’ll play my nickle 10-5 Video-Poker Bonus game at Ameristar, and I’ll play $.05 Multi-Card Keno at Ameristar and $.01 Multi-Card Keno at The Gilpin Hotel. I’ll return for the vibe, and try the other food outlets. In addition to the little shop where I got the Panini they have a small (one-trip, I think) buffet and a pizza area as well as what looks like a first-rate restaurant, Ardore”s “A Tuscan Steakhouse and Wine Experience” with what appears to be a vast wine store. Also the Guitar Bar seems to be a good place to hang out. There was a beauty sitting at the bar last night around 8:00 P.M. I didn’t but I’ll have to taste the video-poker machines on the bar top.

The hotel room (thanks Fortune Valley) was more welcoming than I remember from my last trip to FV. I remember that last room (from three years ago) as somewhat garish with garden green wall-paper and miscellaneous things that were off-putting. This trip, the room was nicely appointed with a basic black, grey and off-white theme with one wall and a huge matching pillow in yellow. There was a flat-screen on the wall, a small fridge, a desk and a very nice, new bathroom with a hair dryer. A little coffee machine was ready at the entrance.

Fortune Valleys Guitar Bar
Fortune Valley's Guitar Bar - Photo by Jeffrey V. Smith

Here’s a link to some more insider stuff about the new management team with more photos – From the ColoradoGambler.Com

Fortune Valley Hotel’s Official Website
Visit the LasVegasBuffetClub’s main pages

Is business returning to the Colorado mountain casinos: The *Gambler’s Edge RV Park in Central City is open for business after a long closure..

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Grocery Store at the Denver West / Central City KOA RV Park
Grocery Store at the Denver West / Central City KOA RV Park

Celebrating a birthday, four of us went up to Central City/Black Hawk to do a buffet and try our luck at the machines. On the drive up I-70, just before entering Central City – on Central City Parkway – we noticed that the *Gambler’s Edge RV Park was open for business after a year+ closure. Is this a small indicater that business is coming back to the mountain casinos? We’ll wait and see. I called the office and confirmed the reopening of the RV Park. The park reopened May 1, 2010. *It is now called the Denver West / Central City KOA RV Park.

First let me back up for a second. Last week I had an Asian Chicken Salad (a fav) at the Red Coral restaurant on So. Colorado Blvd. in Denver. I saw some coupons in an Asian magazine at the restaurant. One of the coupons was a two-for-one buffet coupon for The Isle Hotel/Casino’s Calypso’s Buffet. I got a couple of coupons for a trip to the mountains.

Yesterday we drove up at around three o’ clock in the afternoon. First I wanted to check out The Ameristar Hotel Casino to see if I had any comps coming so we parked at the free Ameristar Casino Hotel’s covered parking garage and went in. The ladies sat in front of a fireplace and had a cocktail, I went to check for comps and Gregg went to the machines. Three of us were back in front of the fireplace when a very animated Gregg rushed up waving a slot ticket. He had a ticket for $198.00. Not bad for small-time gamers. Working off a very small budget, *I also played “his” machine and stopped when I was around $75.00 up. Not bad at all considering that my “bankroll” was a $5.00 comp I got from Ameristar. I parlayed that five dollar bill into gambling money which I used for the rest of the night. Krissy also was ahead at Ameristar. This sounds like hype, but this was one of the best gambling nights any of us has ever had in Black Hawk. The crowd was lively, the band was hot and the casino was hoppin’. We were several hundred bucks ahead and the night was just starting.

After a bit more gambling we were all getting hungry so we moved the car to the Riviera’s parking garage, walked across the street to The Isle Hotel, refreshed our Player cards, put in a couple of bucks, then moved over to Calypso’s Buffet. I had seen this room before but had never eaten there. The basic design is “Island” with thached-roofs and bamboo, and some other stuff that doesn’t quite work, but that’s another post. Basically it’s a comfortable room. We took a booth against a wall on the oposite side of the buffet tables.

We were all somewhat surprised with the buffet. It was pretty decent, especially with the all-you-can-eat King Crab Legs (7 days.) My favorite – the peel and eat shrimp – were cold, firm and tasty. Also at the buffet tables: an (average) salad-bar with breads, soups and fruit, a build-your-own taco bar, an Asian food station, a carnivor station with roast beef, chicken etc. Some of the other tasty items were: risotto with sun-dried tomatoes, pizza, Swedish meatballs, Tuna Steaks, Bar-B-Que pork, Chicken Piccata, and of course the dessert station with gooey pies, cakes, ice cream and more.

Usually we do the buffet at The Ameristar or The Lodge Casino. We had coupons for The Isle, coupons rule…

After dinner we tasted a few machines at The ISLE then moved on over to The RIV, tried a few machines there then headed back to the city. It was indeed a good night.

Calypso’s Buffet
Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk
401 Main Street
Black Hawk, CO 80422

*I debated whether or not to divulge the following information. I guess I decided to do just that. The killer machine was a [$0.01 – information was deleted august 10, 2010.]

*This information is for professional gamblers and not intended to entice persons to gamble. Although we did ok playing this machine, it could have been a fluke. We are not advising anyone to play this machine or any other gambling machine.

The Isle Casino Hotel’s Official Website
The Ameristar Casino Hotel’s Official Website
The Riviera Casino’s Official Website

Visit the main pages of the LasVegasBuffetClub

Casinos raise stakes in Colorado

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LVBC Ace of Spades

At 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 2, 2009, Colorado casinos raise gaming stakes a notch: raising wager limits from $5 to $100, adding Roulette and Craps, and extending hours to a full-blown 24/7. Prior to the passing of amendment 50, the casinos closed at 2 a.m. and the only (table) games in town were: poker, blackjack and let it ride.

From ColoradoGamingNews:
“24/7 gaming will be available soon”
“Are you ready to gamble?”

“Gamblers and casino operators alike are anxiously anticipating 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, when Amendment 50 goes into effect and high stakes gaming becomes a reality in Colorado.”

“That’s the exact minute when craps tables and roulette wheels will be unveiled. Five-dollar limits will be a thing of the past. And when 1:45 a.m. rolls around, gamblers won’t hear that ominous loudspeaker voice announcing that it’s time to cash out and head to their rooms or, for day gamblers, head home.” read more from ColoradoGamingNews… or click here for the CGN home page…
Visit the LasVegasBuffetClub’s Colorado Gaming pages…

Waiting To Raise The Stakes In Colorado: New Changes Take Effect July 2, 2009

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The LVBC Ace of Spades
LVBC's Ace of Spades

Amendment 50

Amendment 50 was approved by Colorado voters on Nov. 4, 2008, giving the electorate in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek the option to approve raising the maximum wager limit up to $100, add the games of craps and/or roulette, and allow 24-hour gaming effective July 2, 2009. Voters in those towns can approve all or a portion of those options for their communities. The amendment earmarks additional State revenues generated by the changes to community colleges and to the gaming towns and counties. It also requires voter approval for any increase in gaming tax rates.

As of January 20, 2009, voters in all three towns have approved the changes for casinos in their communities read more from Colorado.Gov…

Casino Links:
Black Hawk Casinos
Central City Casinos
Cripple Creek Casinos
Tribal Casinos
LasVegasBuffetClub’s Colorado Gaming Pages…

SOME OPINIONS BEFORE THE VOTE:
Bipartisan opposition targets Amend. 50 – Old Denver Post Article from 10/19/2008
“Politicians from both parties are voicing opposition to Amendment 50, which would give casinos in Colorado’s three gambling towns the chance to raise maximum bets, extend hours and add new games.”

“Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said Friday that he opposes the measure because of law enforcement concerns. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens also are opposed” read more from The Denver Post…

GAMING AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION – ARTICLE XVIII (PDF)

View the LasVegasBuffetClub Gaming pages…